Amy Schumer wants to give an Emmy to everyone on 'The Wire'

Amy Schumer listened to the Emmy nominations early this morning, but didn’t know her Comedy Central show Inside Amy Schumer was nominated until a friend texted her with the news. “I was like, ‘What?’ I thought he was just confused.”

But it was true: Schumer and her writing team scored a nod for outstanding writing for a variety series. “I love all our writers so much and I’m so proud of what we did this year,” Schumer told EW. One of those things they did included introducing Dumpy the Frumpy Meerkat to the world—and what a great thing that was.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Congratulations on the nomination! We’re so excited for you.AMY SCHUMER: I’m so excited.

What were you doing when you found out?Honestly, I was in the makeup chair getting makeup for the movie I’m filming right now with Judd [Apatow]. And I heard the nominations and I didn’t think we got nominated and I was just sitting there, and then one of my friends texts me and was like, “We both got nominated!” And I was like, “What?” I thought he was just confused, and then he said it was for what it was for, and I could not have been happier. I love our writers so much, and I’m so proud of what we did this year, and I was, like, constantly tweeting about them this season, just how proud I am. So it’s really cool because as a performer, you’re like… If just I’d been nominated, you’d feel like, “Ugh, it’s such a collaboration, I feel like a dickhead” so it’s really exciting that it’s all of us. And knowing how hard we worked in the room.

What’s been your favorite scene you’ve all written together?My sister—because of union rules she couldn’t write yet this season but she’s going to be a credited writer next season, but she actually helped produce and script the scene called “Voice-over.” It’s where I book a voice-over gig and then it winds up being that I get really excited and in over my head, and I’m celebrating my new career as a fancy voice-over artist, and I get there and the other characters are really cute little meerkats and then mine is called the Dumpy the Frumpy Meerkat and does not have pants and has an exposed vagina and it’s really, really vile and all my character says is “worms.” So that one was the hardest to get through and I laughed the most. I think that was the funniest one.

One of my favorite parts of the show is the “Amy Goes Deep” segment, so I’m wondering how you guys choose the people you interview.I’ll think, “Who have I never had a real conversation with and asked all the questions I’ve always wanted to?” And then we just look for those people. I’ve been wanting to talk to somebody over 100 for both seasons, so we finally got one. I love that part of the show, too. I’m really glad people like it, because that was the part we weren’t that sure about.

What show—old or new, on or off the air—would you give an Emmy to just because you love it so much?
I would say everyone who worked on The Wire, down to the last grip. Every extra on the show The Wire, I want to give every Emmy to. I can’t believe that show never won one. It’s so good. It’s like Shakespeare.